Car-coupling mechanism.



J. WILLISON. GAR COUPLING MECHANISM. AIPLIOATION FILED 11116.80, 1910.

1,073,453. Patented Sept. 16, 1913, a 7 SHEETBSHEET 1.

INVENTOR WITNESSES N L W Mam V M iu awk/lmlu A; rag,

COLUMBIA ILANOGRMH CO..\VASIIINUTON. n. c.

J. WILLISON.

UAR COUPLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, 1910.

Patented Sept 16, 1913 7 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

w h m INVENTOR WITNESSES coLuMuu vL/momuum cu, WASHINGTON n. c.

J. WILLISON.

GAR COUPLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED 1106.30, 1910.

Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR f famp w WITNESSES COLUMBIA PLANDGIIAPH coqwAsnlNu'roN. D C

J. WILLISON.

GAR COUPLING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION rum) we. so, 1910.

Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

'7 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES WLLZM coLumuA PLANOORAFH co., WASHINGTON. u. A.

J. WILLISON.

GAR COUPLING MECHANISM APPLIUATION FILED AUG. 30, 1910.

1,073,453. Pa ented Sept. 16, 1913.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

WITNESSES COLUMBIA PLANO IRAPH CO-IWABNINOTON. D. C

J. WILLISON.

CAR COUPLING MECHANISM.

V APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, 1910.

'! SHEETS-SHEET (3.

Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

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am wm NNQM.

INVENTOR WITNESSES J. WILLISON.

CAR COUPLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, 1910.

1,073,453. Patented Sept. 16,1913.

7 SHEETSSHEET 'l.

fylii 21 I Z Z! 1515 5 f 21 1||||Il|||1m 1 1 1 1 1 1d WITNESSES INVENTOR COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO WASHINflTQN. u. c.

llNfTE @TES ATENT JOHN WILLISON, OF DERBY, ENGLAND, A SSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL MALLEABLE CASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CAR-COUPLING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 30, 1910.

Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

Serial No. 579,687.

To all w]: 0m '1' t may concern Be it known that I, JOHN lVILLIsoN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 158 Clarence road, Derby, in the county of Derby, England, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Coupling Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view showing a preferred form of my invention; Fig. Q is a front elevation of the same; Figs. and 1 are detail views of parts hereinafter referred to; Fig. 5 is a sectional side eleva tion with the automatic coupler in horizontal position; Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the automatic coupler in lifted position; Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional side elevation showing the draft rigging and illustrating the automatic coupler in abnormal lifted position; Fig. 8 is a detail side elevation of the mechanism for raising, lowering and locking the draw head. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the same. Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are detail side, end and top views, respectively, of a portion of the lifting lever. Fig. 13 is a side elevation of the supporting hook, and Figs. 14: and 15 are side and top views, respectively, of a supporting arm 21.

My invention relates to that class of car couplers wherein an automatic coupler is combined with a draftbar coupling device, such as the ordinary draw hook, the arrangement being such that either coupling device may be used and that the automatic coupler may be raised from its horizontal coupling position to allow the use of the other coupling device.

The object of the invention is to simplify the structure of such apparatus and primarily to enable a single chain to perform all of the functions of moving the automatic coupler to its different normal positions.

Another object is to provide means to positively lock the automatic coupler in its different positions and prevent accidental release by jars or shocks; and also so to arrange the parts that the automatic coupler may be shifted to a different position nearer the car body if the draft bar coupling device is to be removed, thus providing for proper coupling distance between the cars when the buffers used with the draft bar device are removed.

Referring to the drawings, 2 represents the forked shank of the automatic coupler 3, which shank is pivoted to the body of the draft bar 5 by a through pin 1-. This pivotal connection is so arranged that when the automatic coupler is not locked it can swing or rotate in a vertical plane on the draft bar. lVhcn the automatic coupler lies in normal horizontal position for coupling, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 or 5, its forked shank incloses the draft bar, and the draft bar acts as a tail bolt therefor. The draft strains are transmitted by means of a nut (S, screwed to the threaded rear end of the draft bar, as shown in Fig. 7, and thence to the follower plate 7, and the draft springs S and 9 inclosed within a spring case 10. I have shown the inner spring 8 as somewhat longer than the outer spring 9, this inner spring being normally under compression and having its forward end inclosed in a plunger 11, which slides horizontally in the forward end of the case, and in normal position abuts against the body of the draft bar. The rear end of the spring 8 bears against the follower plate 7, and the outer spring 9 abuts against a laterally projecting flange on the plunger 11, but is not normally under compression.

In the form shown, when either coupling device is employed the butting strains are received partially by the usual side spring buffers 1.2 and 13 located on the car end at the sides of the coupling, and also partially by the coupler, from which they are transmitted through the spacer blocks 1 L to the plunger 11, and thence from the plunger to the springs within the case. The forward edges of the spacer blocks are rounded to fit corresponding surfaces on the shank of the coupler to allow this coupler to turn in a vertical plane. The pulling stresses upon the draft springs are transmitted to the car fran'ling by engagement of lateral lugs 15 on the spring case 10 with draft lugs 16 on the cheek plates 17 riveted to the car framing; and the butting stresses are imparted by the follower plate 7 to the abutment plate 18, and thence to the rear draft lugs 19 on the cheek plates. The spring case 10 is adapted to move laterally to a limited extent over the abutment plate 18 and the follower plate 7, in order to allow for lateral displacement of the coupler. When this displacement takes place, the spring case fol lows the lateral movement, and in so doing fulcrums on one of the draft lugs and slides laterally upon the follower plate. This compresses the spring 8 within the case, so that as soon as the strain causing lateral displacement is removed the spring acts to return the parts to their normal position, thereby agaln centering the gear and coupler.

I will now describe the mechanism for raising, lowering and locking the automatic coupler.

I attach to the sides of the coupler shank 2, coupler supporting arms, and 21 respectively, which arms are provided with integral shoes 20* and 21 at their inner ends, and are secured by bolts 2 2 and also serve to secure the througlrpin l, by which the automatic coupler is pivoted on the draft bar. When the coupler lies in horizontal position, the shoes 20 and 21 bear against the under side of the spring case and prevent the coupler head from dropping below its horizontal position. These arms 20 and 21 act to support the automatic coupler in its horizontal position, and also serve as levers to lift it to its raised position. One of them has cast integral with it an uncoupling rod hanger 22, which supports the shaft portion 23 of the uncoupling rod lever 23. in Figs, lt and 15 I show in detail one of these supporting arms, namely, the one which has a lug to prevent the lifting lever as hereafter described from dropping down below its normal position. The other supporting arm is similar to this in form except that it has the uncoupling rod hanger formed integral with it and does not have the lug.

The forward end of the shaft 23 terminates in an upturned crank 2%, which engages the uncoupling mechanism of the coupler. Integral with the rear end of the shaft 23 is a double-armed lever 25 to the free ends of which are attached the uncoupling rods 26 and 26, which are loosely mounted in the brackets attached to the car frame adjacent to the buffers 12 and 13. As the arc of movement of these rods adjacent to the buffers 12 and 13 is very slight during the lifting of the head, the rods will not be lifted a sufiicient distance to con tact with the bufiers. These extend laterally to the sides of the car, and are supported by suitable brackets beneath the spring bufiers. They terminate in suitable handholds, and an outward pull upon either of them will rotate the uncoupling rod shaft in its hanger and cause the forward end of such shaft to operate the coupler mechanism.

I will now describe the mechanism for raising and lowering the automatic coupler. For this purpose I provide a transverse shaft 27 beneath the car framing, carried by a center bracket 27 and side brackets 27'. The side brackets are bolted to the under side of the car framing,

racket 27 is preferably secured to a shelf or downwardly extending lug l0 formed integrally with the spring case 10. Hand wheels 28 are rigidly secured to the shaft, one at each end, either wheel being accessible from its side of the car. At one side of the center bracket an inclined clevis 29 is rigidly secured to the shaft 27 by a bolt extending through the shaft, and to this clevis 29 is attached one end of a chain 29, which winds around the shaft when the latter is rotated in either direction. The clevis is secured to the shaft so as to project inwhile the center wardly at an acute angle to the shaft, as

shown in Fig. 1, so that when the chain begins to wind it will wind upon and be guided by that portion of the shaft which lies between the clevis and the center bracket of the shaft. This insures the chain always moving into pro-per position to perform its functions. The chain is adjusted so as to provide enough slack to allow the automatic coupler and its attachments to be drawn forwardly under a pulling strain, to the amount allowed by the draft gear, without undue tension on the chain. From its clevis end, the chain 29 passes forwardly over the pulley 30, on a linewith a pulley 30', the pulley 30 being rotatably mounted on a projecting boss 31 projecting from the lower or movable end of one of a pair of locking' down blocks 31. The other pulley 30 is similarly mounted upon the sleeve 34E of a supporting hook 34, which sleeve 34 is in turn pivoted upon a projecting boss 31 of the other locking-down block 31. The inwardly projecting bosses 31 of the lockingdown blocks are supported within the hole 5 at the lower sideofthe hook portion of the draft bar, within which they are pivotally secured by studs projecting inwardly from the sides of the blocks.

The chain 29 after passing over the pulley 30 thence extends downwardly and rearwardly under a pulley 32, which pulleyv rotates freely upon and is carried by the pin 32, mounted in the lower end 33* of the lifting lever 33, which lever is of bell. crank form. The chain passesupwardly around this pulley 32, and thence forwardly over pulley 3 and thence downwardly and rear wardly, where its end is attached to the lifting lever 33 by means of the same pin or shaft 32 which carries the pulley 32. The lifting lever 33 is preferably integral with a sleeve 33*, which is j ournaled upon a bushing 32 this bushing being mounted upon pin 33". The lifting lever is thus fulcrumed between and at the rear ends of the coupler supporting arms 20 and 21, the forward i ends of which arms are attached to the sides of the coupler shank as previously described. 'lhese arms 9.0 and 21 hold the automatic coupler in horizontal position for co'u 'iling, but their rear ends are free to move down wardly to cause them to act as levers for raising the coupler head upon its pivotal. axis on the draft bar. When in the lower or horizontal position for automatic coupling, the supporting book 34 whose forward end fi-t" is pivoted upon the boss 31 of one of the locking-down blocks, falls into such a position that its rear face filt bears against the sleeve 33 upon the lifting lever 33. The forward end 34 of the hook in the form of a round boss, which forms a bearing "for the pulley 30 as above described. The lower ends of the locking down blocks 31. seat upon ledges 20 and 21." on the inner faces of the colipler-sup1u rting arms 20 and 21; and these lower ends must be lifted and swung rearwardly out of these seats before the rear ends of the coupler supporting arms can be lowered, and hence before the automatic coupler can he raised. When in this position, the rear end of the supporting hook constitutes a retaining device which holds down the locking-down blocks in their locking position, and thus. locks the au'tmnatic coupler in the horizontal position. The most important function of this supporting hook, hmvever, is to support the coupler in its elevated position as described later.

in lifting the head, the shaft 27 is rotated in either direction, thus winding the chain up on the shaft between the clevis and the center bracket. As soon as .the slack in the chain has been taken up, the first effect of the chain tension is to draw the lower arm of the lifting lever 33 forwardly and upwardly. Previous to this movement the lifting lever has been lying in the position shown in Fig. 5, its lower end being prevented from moving rearwardly by engagement of a shelf 33 on the lifting lever with the lug 21" upon one of the coupler supporting arms. Vi hen the lower arm of the lifting lever is thus drawn tfmwvardly by the initial tension of the chain, its upper arm rises and engages a shelf or lug 34/ upon the supporting hook, thereby lifting said hook out of its locking position. A further pull on the chain draws the lower ends of the locking-down blocks away from their position in the seats on the coupler supporting arms and thereby leaves the coupler free to rise. its the chain is further wound up it continues to draw forwardly upon the lower end of the lifting lever 3, thus first causing a rounded caln surface 33 thereon to bear upon the bottom of the end sill, and then a rounded cam surface 33 thereon to bear on the front of the end sill, these surfaces acting as successive shifting fulcrums. This lever action causes the lifting lever to move downwardly and forwardly out of engagementwith the supporting hook carrying downwardly with it the rear ends of the coupier supporting arms, and thus swinging the coupler u 'nvardly about its pivot. This motion continues until the lifting lever has traveled forward on the under side of the supporting hook until the latter drops its book portion 3 L over the sleeve 33 of the lifting lever. The automatic coupler is now lifted and locked in its lifted position; but to provide an additional safeguard against its possible unlocking, l. provide an additional locking device or lock-tolhc-loek. in the form shown, this consists of a gravity lock 30 pivoted to the rear portion of the supporting hook. This lock has a boss 35 with opposite wings 35, and in assembling the device, the lock laid flat upon the supporting hook and turned until the wings 35 register with corresponding holes in. the supporting hook. 'lhe entered wings are then turned to engage an unslotted portion of the front wall of the hole, the rear end of the gravity lock being rotated upwardly, drawing down 'ardly the forward end or stop member Sill". A check key 37 is then inserted 1n the aperture fit of the supporting hook and retained by a cotter, thus preventing the gravity member from rotating into disengaging position. The check key also limits the dmvnward movement of the rear end of the gravity lock to prevent the gravity lock from interfering with the main supporting hook. \Vhen the supporting book has dropped its hook portion over the sleeve 33 as previously described, the gravity lock also drops into the position shown in Fig. (3, and while in this position serves as a lock for the supporting hook so that the latter cannot possibly be detached by an accidental shock or blow. The only manner in which the supporting hook can be released is by first raising the rear end of the gravity member ti to rotate the lock upon its pivot until its hook portion 3t? is released from the under side of the boss 33 of the lifting lever, thus leaving the supporting book free to be witlulrawn by application of force in the proper direction.

Considering the automatic coupler in its raised position, if it desired to lower the head into position for automatic coupling, the shaft 27 must be rotated in the opposite direction from that in lifting. The first result of this opposite rotation is to unwind the chain, which up to this time has been taut. its the chain unwinds a bight is formed in it, which slides downwardly over a rain surface 38 (Fig. 9) on the rearwardly extending portion of the gravity lock, and then falls directly beneath such portion. If the shaft continues to rotate in this direction, the chain, after being completely unwound will. begin to rewind upon the same portion of the shaft. As soon as the slack is thus taken up, the chain Wlll now engage the under side of the rear end of the gravity lock and lift this end thus rotatmo the lock u on I 1 7 a 1 a I n its pivot and releasing its nook portion 30 from lockin position. Further raisin of c: l. b the lower end of the gravity lock causes its forward] 1 (,XtGllCllllO' 3013'i31011 36 to bear u on the upper sine oi: the sleeve 38 of the lifting lever, thereby giving a lever action which through the lug 36 lifts the supportng hook upwardly and partially releases it from engagement with the sleeve 39?. After the suonortino' hook has thus been partially raised, the part 36* of the gravity lock engages the wall 3-1 of the keeper 34- of the supporting hook, and raises the supporting hook positively until its hook portion is freed from engagement with the sleeve 33, thus completely unlocking. she length of the 100k oortion of the supporting hook is such that when the motion as thus described has taken place the tightly drawn chain has now been brought into nearly a straight line and as the supporting hook slips out of'its supporting position, the weight of the coupler head is taken by the taut chain. This relation between the detaching of the hook and the nearly straight position of the chain is important as avoiding any sudden shock on the chain, or any sudden drop of the coupler head. If now the wheel is released the automatic coupler will gradually swing down to a horizontal position under its own weight, slowly unwinding the chain, and the supporting hook will fall back automatically into its locking engagement: as before described, thus locking the coupler down in horizontal position.

In case the automatic coupler head should accidentally be carried above its normal locked-up position, as shown for'example in Fig. 7, the supporting hook will still remain in position and cannot be accidentally withdrawn, since even if the coupler head is raised so high that the gravity lock hook no longer prevents the supporting hook from being withdrawn, a depending hook port-ion S lformed ii'itegral with the supporting hook at substantially the middle part of the shank will now serve as a lock for the supporting hook by engaging the sleeve Therefore, the only position in which the supporting hook can be released is when the coupler is in its normal raised and locked position, at which time the re lease can only take place by an upward pull upon the rear portion of the gravity lock as before described. The automatic coupler is, therefore, not only locked in its normally raised position, but even if it be raised higher than its normal raised position.

To further adapt the device for the use of the draft bar, have shown the commonly used additional safety hook 38, this being pivoted through the shank of the draftbar forward of the pivotal point of the auto-- matic coupler.

The advantages of my invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art. By means of a single chain 1 am enabled to perform all of the functions which heretofore have [required two chains. I thus greatly simplify and improve the apparatus. The gravity lock provides an additional safeguard to insure complete locking of the supporting hook when the automatic coupler is lifted. An improved trip device is provided for the supporting hook, which gives a lever action in detaching this hook instead of an ordinary pull thereon. The chain is so correlated with the supporting hook that the chain will be so nearly straight as to prevent shocks thereon when the supporting hook is released. There is, therefore,no sudden shock due to a drop of the heavy automatic coupler. Moreover, as the weight ofthe automatic coupler is taken on the chain practically as soon as the supporting hook is released, the automatic coupling head does not drop through its full swing and thus impart a heavy blow to the car body, or to the supporting arms, which might cause breakage. An important feature of my device is the arranging of the chain attachment, preferably by the inclined clevis device shown, so that the chain will always travel along the rod'in the same direction and thereby cause the proper actuation of the parts independent of the direction of rotation. Of course, when the head is raised if the operator finds that he is raising the head still more he will naturally turn the shaft in the other di rect-ion, and this will show him which direction is proper. But when the automatic coupler is in the lowered position turning of the shaft in either direction will cause the lifting movement.

Many changes may be made in the form and arrangement f the draft bar, the automatic coupler, the draft rigging, 63c, with out departing from my invention, which relates particularly to the raising, lowering and locking of the automatic coupler.

I claim:

1. An automatic car coupler pivoted for movement into a position other than its coupling position, actuating mechanism to move the coupler in at least one direction, a lifting lever, and a member for supporting the coupler in non-coupling position and for locking it in coupling position, said actuating mechanism comprising a single chain associated with the lifting lever and with the locking and supporting member to control the movement of the coupler into two positions; substantially as described. I

2. An automatic car coupler pivoted for.

\ movement into a position other than its coupling position, actuating mechanism a portion of which is carried by the coupler to move it in. at: least one direction, and a member for supporting the coupler in non-coupling position and for looking it in coupling position, said actuating mechanism including a single chain associated with the other parts of the actuating mechanism and with the locking and supporting member to control the movement of the coupler head into its two positions; substantially as described. 5. An automatic car coupler pivoted tor movement into a position other than its coupling position, actuating mechanism including a single chain to move the coupler in at least one direction, and a member for supporting the coupler in non-coupling position and for hacking it in coupling position, said chain having a cm'iperative relation with the locking and supporting member and with the other parts oi. said mechanism to first act upon the said member to release it and to then move the coupler out. of its coupling position; substantially as described.

4t. An automatic car coupler having a. head pivoted for movement into a position other than its coupling position, actuating mechanism to move the coupler in at least one direction, a member connected to the actuating mechanism for locking the coupler in coupling position and supporting the cou-- pier in non-coupling position, and a satiety lock for the locking member arranged to lock said member when the coupler is in its non-coupling position, said actuating mechanism having a single chain associated with the safety lock for the locking member for releasing the safety lock and the locking member and to then control the movement of the coupler to its coupling position; substantially as described.

An automatic car coupler having a head pivoted for movement into and out of its coupling position, actuating mechanism including a chain to permit the coupler head to be moved from its non-coupling to its coupling position, and a supporting member for locking the coupler head in its non-coupling position, said chain cooperating with the supporting member and said mechanism to unlock the supporting member and to permit the coupler head to be lowered into its coupling position; substantially as de scribed.

6. An automatic car coupler having a head pivoted. for movement into and out of its coupling position, actuating mechanism arranged to permit the coupler to be moved from its non-coupling to its coupling position, a supporting member for locking the mechanism when the coupler head is in its coupling position, a gravity lock for said supporting member. said actuating mechanism including a single chain cooperating with the supporting member and the gravity lock to release the gravity lock and then unlock the supporting member and permit the coupler to be lowered into its coupling position; substantially as described.

7. A lift head coupler having a rigid hoolcshaped supporting member for retain ing it in its litted position, a lever tor liiliting the coupler head associated with the hool shaped llltllllltll, and a loclt tor locking the supporting member when the coupler head has been titted; substantially as describial.

8. 11 li't't head coupler having a sup porting member for retaining it. in its lifted position, a lever for lifting the coupler head, a single chain to actuating the lover, a loclc for locking the supporting member when the coupler head has been lifted, and means on the lock to be engaged by the chain to disengage the lock to permit the coupler head to be lowered; substantially as described.

9. on automatic coupler having a head pivoted tor movement out of its coupling position, actuat ing mechanism for raising and lowering the coupler head including a single chain, a winding shaft for the chain, a lock tor securing the actuating mechanism when the coupler head is in non-com pling position, and means on the lock to be engaged by the chain to release said mechanism to permit said coupler to be lowered into coupling position by said chain; substantially as described.

10. A. drat't rigging having a coupler head pivotally connected thereto for movement into and out ot? coupling position. a coupler hook connected to the draft rigging, actuating mechanism including a single chain for controlling the movement of said coupler head into and out of: coupling position. and means to loci: the coupler in its coupling and non-coupling positions, said chain being associated with the said locking means to relea. '-'e it when the coupler is in either position; substantially as described.

ll. Tn mechanism for raising and lowering the head of: an automatic coupler pivotcd to swing in a vertical plane, actuating means comprised ot a windinc' shaft journaled to the car bodv and a lifting and lowering chain attached to said shaft by means of a clevis bolted to the shaft in an inclined position, whereby the chain is caused to wind in the same direction along the axis of the shaft irrespective of the direction of rotation of the shaft.

12. An automatic car coupler having a head pivoted for movement into and out of its coupling position. actuating mechanism including a single chain -for lowering the coupler from its non-coupling to its coupling position. a lo k for locking the coupler in its non-coupling position, and means ment of the chain, said chain being arranged to be Wound in one direction to release the 15 lock, and to permit the coupler to be lowered when wound in the other direction; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence 20 of two subscribing vwitnesses.

JOHN WILLISON.

Witnesses JOSEPH MILLARD,

W. J. SKERTEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissi ner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

